With residencies starting in July, med school starting in August, and graduate studies beginning in September, it’s been a busy few weeks of firsts – for both our learners and me.
Before I get into this month’s highlights, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the troubling events that have faced our medical school over the past month or so. There have been two serious incidents involving students, and our thoughts are with the families and friends of those involved. I thank Dalhousie Security Services and those in law enforcement who have been there for us.
Hippocratic Oath and First Light ceremonies
As tradition would have it, we recently held our annual Hippocratic Oath ceremony in Halifax and First Light ceremony in Saint John. The events welcome our first-year med students to Dalhousie Medical School, and to the practice of medicine.
At the Hippocratic Oath gathering, students heard from second-year internal medicine resident Dr. Alex Legge; she offered tips for their journey ahead. And Dr. Gus Grant, registrar and CEO of the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Nova Scotia, addressed our newest students with a straight-shooting – and at times humorous – talk about professionalism. To round out the afternoon, students collectively read their code of conduct, listened to the Hippocratic Oath, and enjoyed musical tributes by members of our humanities program.
At the Saint John event, our New Brunswick students got to celebrate their start to medical school in their own special way. Dr. Jennifer Hall, the senior associate dean for New Brunswick, and I enjoyed participating in our first First Light festivities, and meeting some of our students’ families.
Visit to Miramichi
On my way to the First Light ceremony, I stopped by Miramichi. It was my first chance to connect with Dr. Rob Boulay, the program director for our Miramichi-based Longitudinal Integrated Clerksip (LIC). I also got to meet many of our faculty and students based in that region.
The LIC is a highly-regarded model for delivering medical education, where third-year students spend most of their clerkship in a community setting. Students and faculty are unanimous in their passion for the strengths of this program; the ultimate goal of the LIC is to train students well and encourage them to return to smaller communities to work and live. Our other New Brunswick-based LICs in Moncton and the Upper River Valley are working well. We’re having discussions about setting up LIC sites in Nova Scotia.
New research chair
This month, Dr. Michael Dunbar was named the QEII Foundation Endowed Chair in Arthroplasty Outcomes. With that announcement, Dalhousie Medical School became home to 24 research chairs. Research chairs – recognized as the top researchers in their fields – transform scientific thinking and teaching.
I congratulate Dr. Dunbar, and look forward to what his work will mean for patient care in the Maritimes.
And while on the topic of research, there’s a link on the right-hand side of this page that will take you to a list of our funding successes. That link will remain on this blog site for reference, and the list will be updated periodically.
Molly Appeal 2015
September brought us Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation’s (DMRF) annual Molly Appeal. This year’s campaign focuses on cardiovascular disease. Dalhousie Medical School-affiliated cardiac surgeons, cardiologists, and scientists are looking at innovative approaches to prevent and manage heart disease.
Ours is the only medical school in Canada that’s served by an independent charitable organization. DMRF’s only purpose is to support Dalhousie Medical School scientists and their research activities. Though the Molly Appeal is just one of many ways the Foundation helps advance health research in our region, its legacy has – for more than 35 years – contributed to the success and excellence of our researchers and the science they do.
I’m proud to be a member of DMRF’s board of directors, and I wish the Molly Appeal team much luck with this year’s campaign.
Accreditation
On September 17th, we officially kicked off our Undergraduate Medical Education accreditation process. As I mentioned in my last blog post, the Committee on the Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools will be reviewing our MD program in 2017.
Soon, faculty, staff, and students will start receiving a monthly accreditation newsletter. Please watch out for it. That’s where we’ll be sharing accreditation-related information.
Strategic planning
I’m twelve weeks into my deanship, and I continue to learn the ropes of the role. As mentioned in my last note, I’ll be working on a new strategic plan in partnership with faculty, staff, and students. At the end of October, I’m hosting a one-day retreat for department heads, associate and assistant deans, and representatives from faculty council. From there, I’ll be looking for wide input on our strategic directions.
My goal is to have a new plan in place by spring 2016. Stay tuned for more information on how to get involved.
Alumni gala
I’m really looking forward to seeing old friends, and meeting new ones, at the October 16th Dalhousie Medical alumni gala at Pier 21. Dr. Tom Marrie will be the guest speaker. If you haven’t already purchased your tickets for the evening, you can get them by visiting Dal’s alumni website. I hope to see you there!
Know Your Dal
Know Your Dal is well underway, and soon the medical school will be taking over Today@Dal. The medical school’s official take-over will happen October 5 – 9. During that time, we’ll step into the spotlight and through a series of activities (online and offline), share the work of faculty and staff with the broader university community. Be sure to watch for our turn in the Know Your Dal campaign.
Be in touch
As I hope you know by now, my door is always open for a chat. Or you can always reach me by email (david.anderson@dal.ca).